Triumphs, Failures, and Everything In Between

Homemade Gifts: Salted Caramel Sauce

Confession: I have tried to write this post 10 times with as many different intros and I have deleted each one in frustration. Maybe I have writer’s block. Maybe I’m just being lazy. Maybe I overdosed on pie and online Christmas shopping this weekend.

Maybe I am just too enamored with this Salted Caramel Sauce to think of anything more to say than, “Make this. Please make this. Make it to give as a Christmas gift or hoard it and keep it for yourself. Your ice cream needs this topping. Your pancakes and waffles and coffee and hot chocolate need this sauce. You need to experience the bliss of just eating this sauce off the spoon. Trust me. Make this.”

This recipe is straight from Confections of a Foodie Bride and is perfect just as it is. No adapting. One note, though: this truly is salted caramel sauce. If you are not a fan of the sweet/salty combination, I’d recommend that you reduce the salt so it if more of a background instead of an up-front flavor.

Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle, stopping short of one end so it stays in one piece. Scrape the little vanilla beans out of the inside of the pod with the knife and place the beans and pod in a saucepan. Add the cream, butter, and salt to the pan and heat just until it boils. Turn off heat.

In a large saucepan, heat the sugar, corn syrup, and water and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture boils. Continue boiling, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the mixture is a golden caramel color.

Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream mixture and add the cream to the sugar. The mixture will bubble quite a bit, but don’t be afraid! Simmer the caramel for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Pour the caramel into a heat-safe container (at least 3 cup capacity) and let cool.

If you don’t eat all the sauce straight out of the bowl as it cools, store it in the fridge (I use half-pint mason jars). The sauce can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove. This caramel sauce is fantastic over ice cream, cake, sweet quick breads, pancakes, and in hot beverages.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It makes a great homemade Christmas gift as well, so you can pass on the goodness to your friends and family.